Morning links: Rare company for 'Spangy'

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The San Diego Padres' Cory Spangenberg, center, is swarmed by teammates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014, in San Diego. The Padres won 2-1. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Associated Press

The San Diego Padres' Cory Spangenberg, center, is swarmed by teammates after hitting a walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014, in San Diego. The Padres won 2-1. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

With a walk-off home run, the 23-year-old rookie is the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat within the first two games of his career. Spangenberg is also the first player with a walk-off job for his first homer since the Reds’ Drew Stubbs did it on Aug. 20, 2009. He is also the first player to hit a walk-off homer in the pinch for his first homer since Paul McAnulty did it for the Padres on Sept. 6, 2006.

Also, only five Padres have driven in three runs in his first two games after Spangenberg followed up Monday’s two-run single with a first-pitch homer Tuesday.

The early swing didn’t surprise Padres manager Bud Black.

“It was quick but productive. I like those,” Black said. “He got it done in a hurry. He didn’t wait for a full count, didn’t foul off a couple pitches. He went right after it. Since coming back from the concussion, he’s been hitterish.”

Additional notes

With 11 walk-off wins, the Padres are tied with the Marlins for the most in the majors. Their 87 walk-off wins since the start of the 2005 season leads baseball.

RHP Odrisamer Despaigne is now 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 33 strikeouts in seven starts at Petco Park.

C Rene Rivera is hitting .474 (9-for-19) with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs over his last six games.

Other Padres coverage

With his slider abandoning him early in his promotion to Triple-A El Paso, Matt Wisler worked a great deal on his change-up. The 21-year-old pitcher is with the team but not as an official call-up. There were plenty of those as detailed in U-T San Diego’s Padres notes.

Back in Selig Hall of Fame Plaza scuttlebutt, "The toothpaste is out of the tube," Executive Chairman Ron Fowler told a group of local bloggers at a recent social media summit. Gaslamp Ball reviews the event.